SLB Black Theatre Summary and Fires inthe Mirror Analysis
Since the 1700s, blacks have been involved in American theatre. The history of blacks in theatre, and the eventual evolution of black theatre, have been a part of American Theatrical history. Yet, many of this accomplishments and stories were never recorded in the early days of this republic. America got its first test of black performances when the slave ship masters forced slaves to perform for their entertainment as early as 1664. A notable ship where this occurred was the English slave ship, Hannibal. It could be argued that the Hannibal served as the first stage for New World black performance. The crew found them entertaining, but of course it should not be forgotten they were forced to perform. "In the past ten years the Afro-American artist has gained recognition on the American stage" with artists like James Earl Jones and Trazana Beverly (Smith). It is essential that the education systems of the United States educate their students about this unique form. Luckily, it has gained attention and is being taught in many colleges and universities in the United States. It is awful to think that just 40 years ago this group of people could not gets seats in the main house of Broadway theatres, and they could never have performed with their white counterparts. "This same race of people made profits for white playwrights, producers, and directors" (Smith).
"The Afro-American was introduced to the American stage in 1769 in the play The Padlock" (Smith). A West Indies slave, named Mungo, portrayed a black clown, Not a clown that is fun and filled with joy, but rather one that was seen as imbecilic. Many plays were often created and performed by white casts and crews. They would actually let blacks play the awful role of portraying blacks as savages. "While the American stage continued to portray blacks as comic, shuffling, thank-you-sir servants, the African Grove Theatre was founded by a West Indian black named James Hewett" (Smith). The African Grove Theatre went on to perform classics like Shakespeare, and even originals were produced and performed. White audience members were often rude, and police would even arrive at times to shut the performances down and even take some performers into custody. Later, Minstrels began to gain prominence like the "Tom shows." Some considered minstrelsy as beginning of the stolen theatre style of blacks. white hijacked this style, and would cover their faces in cork to portray blacks on stage in 1828. "It was not until 1865 that black minstrel troupes began to appear with recognition: the Georgia Minstrel Troupe toured the northeast, and soon one of its three companies toured England" (Smith).
"Coon shows," or black musicals, became a large part of black theatre. Blacks were trying to take control of their style of theatre, yet whites still pushed back by taking over companies and the casting. The whites often portrayed the performances as "humor" by mocking the black community and its culture. In Dahomey took to the stage in 1902 as a satire of the "back to Africa" movement created by the American Colonization Society. People like Bob Cole and JA Shipp worked to "diminish the minstrel pattern" in the United States (Smith).
Later, the Harlem Renaissance brought with it a new surge of black theatre. It was coined by Alain Locke the "New Negro" period. This movement and surge would help to pave the way for new black theatrics. Soon all black performances and musicals took to the stage in Harlem. This took people from the downtown to the heart of the renaissance. "James Weldon Johnson called this the third theatrical period" (Smith). Langston Hughes also gained traction during the time, and he write many plays, poems, and stories. He became the first black in US history to make writing his paid profession. many of his books and stories were converted to plays and performed on stage later. Hughes has left a major mark on the black theatre. With the advent of World War I, the Lafayette Theatre was struggling, especially all plays and theaters that focused on race and propaganda.
The Great Depression brought with it new challenges for black theatre. the success of Harlem was declining, and many theaters were forced to close their doors. Yet, the artists continued to write and this became a time of creativity and excitement in writing. A Great Depression era show, The Green Pastures, began to tour the United States and Canada. Though in the South, blacks were forced to adhere to Jim Crow Laws that forced the to stay on awful housing. Many protests were dramatized, including John Wexley's They Shall Not Die. "In 1935 Porgy and Bess opened on Broadway. It was said by many critics to be the first American folk opera" (Smith). The 30s were a great start to new creativity, the depression caused many to lose work in the theatres. FDR actually incorporated Federal theatres in his New Deal, Works Projects Administration more specifically. the blacks were given the Federal Negro theatre and encouraged to explore their culture through fine arts.
In the 1950s and 60s the black theatre scene was once again in trouble. The event of television combined with film rendered many theatres unable to survive financially. The Karamu Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio founded in 1916 by the Gilpin Players was one of the few commercial theatres to survive the troubling times. Black performers and artists began to leave Harlem and return downtown though black plays were severely cut on Broadway. The Civil Rights movement brought a new surge of desire to expose black theatre again to the US. Blacks began to rally with each other, and they reused to work with whites wanting be be autonomous and show displeasure with the political situation. They wanted to find an identity. No longer did whites play the blacks, but the blacks played them and played black characters with drive, vision, and dreams. Black theatre has got through so many phases, some good some bad. If black theatre in America is to survive, it must be both self-supported and community-supported. Black theatre, as with all ethnic theatre, should be part of the curriculum of all theatre schools in America; if not, it will continue be underrated and continue the viscous circle of its struggle to exist" (Smith).
Fires in the Mirror
Fires in the Mirror can be considered a black play. It seeks to shine light on racial relations and other minorities. The plays wants to show how fragile race and ethnicity is in our society, and black theatre wants to examine the relations of race-society and ethnicity-society. The character are also portrayed as accurate representations of who the person is. Smith doe snot seeks to mock them, but wants to embassy their emotions. This play represents the pain the black community has faced on more than one occasion, thus I believe Fires in the Mirror is indeed a black play.
SLB Black Theatre Summary and Fires in the Mirror Analysis
Since the 1700s, blacks have been involved in American theatre. The history of blacks in theatre, and the eventual evolution of black theatre, have been a part of American Theatrical history. Yet, many of this accomplishments and stories were never recorded in the early days of this republic. America got its first test of black performances when the slave ship masters forced slaves to perform for their entertainment as early as 1664. A notable ship where this occurred was the English slave ship, Hannibal. It could be argued that the Hannibal served as the first stage for New World black performance. The crew found them entertaining, but of course it should not be forgotten they were forced to perform. "In the past ten years the Afro-American artist has gained recognition on the American stage" with artists like James Earl Jones and Trazana Beverly (Smith). It is essential that the education systems of the United States educate their students about this unique form. Luckily, it has gained attention and is being taught in many colleges and universities in the United States. It is awful to think that just 40 years ago this group of people could not gets seats in the main house of Broadway theatres, and they could never have performed with their white counterparts. "This same race of people made profits for white playwrights, producers, and directors" (Smith).
"The Afro-American was introduced to the American stage in 1769 in the play The Padlock" (Smith). A West Indies slave, named Mungo, portrayed a black clown, Not a clown that is fun and filled with joy, but rather one that was seen as imbecilic. Many plays were often created and performed by white casts and crews. They would actually let blacks play the awful role of portraying blacks as savages. "While the American stage continued to portray blacks as comic, shuffling, thank-you-sir servants, the African Grove Theatre was founded by a West Indian black named James Hewett" (Smith). The African Grove Theatre went on to perform classics like Shakespeare, and even originals were produced and performed. White audience members were often rude, and police would even arrive at times to shut the performances down and even take some performers into custody. Later, Minstrels began to gain prominence like the "Tom shows." Some considered minstrelsy as beginning of the stolen theatre style of blacks. white hijacked this style, and would cover their faces in cork to portray blacks on stage in 1828. "It was not until 1865 that black minstrel troupes began to appear with recognition: the Georgia Minstrel Troupe toured the northeast, and soon one of its three companies toured England" (Smith).
"Coon shows," or black musicals, became a large part of black theatre. Blacks were trying to take control of their style of theatre, yet whites still pushed back by taking over companies and the casting. The whites often portrayed the performances as "humor" by mocking the black community and its culture. In Dahomey took to the stage in 1902 as a satire of the "back to Africa" movement created by the American Colonization Society. People like Bob Cole and JA Shipp worked to "diminish the minstrel pattern" in the United States (Smith).
Later, the Harlem Renaissance brought with it a new surge of black theatre. It was coined by Alain Locke the "New Negro" period. This movement and surge would help to pave the way for new black theatrics. Soon all black performances and musicals took to the stage in Harlem. This took people from the downtown to the heart of the renaissance. "James Weldon Johnson called this the third theatrical period" (Smith). Langston Hughes also gained traction during the time, and he write many plays, poems, and stories. He became the first black in US history to make writing his paid profession. many of his books and stories were converted to plays and performed on stage later. Hughes has left a major mark on the black theatre. With the advent of World War I, the Lafayette Theatre was struggling, especially all plays and theaters that focused on race and propaganda.
The Great Depression brought with it new challenges for black theatre. the success of Harlem was declining, and many theaters were forced to close their doors. Yet, the artists continued to write and this became a time of creativity and excitement in writing. A Great Depression era show, The Green Pastures, began to tour the United States and Canada. Though in the South, blacks were forced to adhere to Jim Crow Laws that forced the to stay on awful housing. Many protests were dramatized, including John Wexley's They Shall Not Die. "In 1935 Porgy and Bess opened on Broadway. It was said by many critics to be the first American folk opera" (Smith). The 30s were a great start to new creativity, the depression caused many to lose work in the theatres. FDR actually incorporated Federal theatres in his New Deal, Works Projects Administration more specifically. the blacks were given the Federal Negro theatre and encouraged to explore their culture through fine arts.
In the 1950s and 60s the black theatre scene was once again in trouble. The event of television combined with film rendered many theatres unable to survive financially. The Karamu Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio founded in 1916 by the Gilpin Players was one of the few commercial theatres to survive the troubling times. Black performers and artists began to leave Harlem and return downtown though black plays were severely cut on Broadway. The Civil Rights movement brought a new surge of desire to expose black theatre again to the US. Blacks began to rally with each other, and they reused to work with whites wanting be be autonomous and show displeasure with the political situation. They wanted to find an identity. No longer did whites play the blacks, but the blacks played them and played black characters with drive, vision, and dreams. Black theatre has got through so many phases, some good some bad. If black theatre in America is to survive, it must be both self-supported and community-supported. Black theatre, as with all ethnic theatre, should be part of the curriculum of all theatre schools in America; if not, it will continue be underrated and continue the viscous circle of its struggle to exist" (Smith).
Fires in the Mirror
Fires in the Mirror can be considered a black play. It seeks to shine light on racial relations and other minorities. The plays wants to show how fragile race and ethnicity is in our society, and black theatre wants to examine the relations of race-society and ethnicity-society. The character are also portrayed as accurate representations of who the person is. Smith doe snot seeks to mock them, but wants to embassy their emotions. This play represents the pain the black community has faced on more than one occasion, thus I believe Fires in the Mirror is indeed a black play.